Nurses are the backbone of healthcare. As we recognize National Nurses Week, here’s a message from Ballad Health’s chief nursing executive, Dr. Lisa Smithgall, honoring the dedication, compassion and tireless commitment of each and every member of our nursing staff.
The deadline for our Team Member Pulse Survey has been extended by 24 hours, lasting through Tuesday, May 7, closing at midnight. If you haven’t already taken this survey, please do so! It is very short and easy to complete. You should have received an email from Press Ganey, containing an individual link to the survey. You must access the survey directly from this link. The email came from “Press Ganey on behalf of Ballad Health” (the email address is noreply@surveys.pressganey.com) and is safe to open and click the survey link. Another email with the individual link will be sent later this evening. Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete this survey, and thank you to everyone who has already taken it. Your feedback is important!
As we celebrate Healthcare Week 2024 this week, we invite you to join us for a little fun as we once again play bingo across the system, compliments of our Human Resources department. Starting today (Monday, May 6) through Sunday, May 12, bingo numbers will be drawn daily and sent to all our team members via email, coming from Ballad Health HR. Expect your bingo numbers to arrive by email each morning between 10 a.m. and noon. Each team member will receive six bingo cards from their manager. All six cards will be on one sheet. If you work remotely, please contact your manager to coordinate receipt of your bingo card. Please return your completed page of cards to HR no later than noon on Wednesday, May 15, in order to be eligible for prizes. Be sure to include your name, team member number and contact info on your entry! Cards can be hand-delivered to the closest…
As we celebrate Healthcare Week 2024 this week, we invite you to join us for a little fun as we once again play bingo across the system, compliments of our Human Resources department. From Monday, May 6, through Sunday, May 12, bingo numbers will be drawn daily and sent to all our team members via email, coming from Ballad Health HR. Expect your bingo numbers to arrive by email each morning between 10 a.m. and noon. Each team member will receive six bingo cards from their manager. All six cards will be on one sheet. If you work remotely, please contact your manager to coordinate receipt of your bingo card. Please return your completed page of cards to HR no later than noon on Wednesday, May 15, in order to be eligible for prizes. Be sure to include your name, team member number and contact info on your entry! Cards can be hand-delivered to the closest HR location or…
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — Several Ballad Health leaders journeyed to Chicago to present the story of reopening Lee County Community Hospital during the 2024 American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Congress on Healthcare Leadership. Shared with hundreds of national healthcare leaders, the presentation — given by Shannon Showalter, vice president and chief executive officer for Ballad Health operations in Lee, Wise and Dickenson counties; Mitch Kennedy, RN, associate vice president and administrator; and Stacey Ely, managing director of community and government affairs — shed light on the remarkable resilience of both the Lee County community and Ballad Health in reviving access to healthcare for rural communities. “Sharing the story of Lee County Community Hospital is critical in spotlighting the transformative power of community-driven healthcare initiatives,” Showalter said. “It underscores the significance of proactive collaboration and innovation in addressing the unique challenges faced by rural healthcare systems. We hope that by sharing our experience, it will…
As a reminder, our Team Member Pulse Survey is open through Monday, May 6. To encourage team member engagement, we’re also offering everyone a chance to be entered in a drawing to win Dollywood tickets — and the last day we are giving away tickets is Friday, May 3. So if you want to be eligible for the drawing, take the survey now! About the survey We are again partnering with Press Ganey Associates, a leading distributor of hospital and health system surveys for patients, to administer our Team Member Pulse Survey. This team member survey takes place from April 22 to May 6 and will consist of 10 questions that should be able to be completed in 10 minutes or less. You should have received an email from Press Ganey, containing an individual link to the survey. You must access the survey directly from this link. The email will come from “Press Ganey on behalf of Ballad…
KINGSPORT – We want to shine a spotlight on the incredible work being done at the Transitional Care Clinic (TCC) at Indian Path Community Hospital! The TCC is a one-of-a-kind clinic that serves our community and helps bridge the gaps between hospital, primary care and infusion needs. This dedicated team goes above and beyond to provide crucial support and care to patients transitioning from hospital to home or transitioning from one care setting to another. Ballad Health is always looking for new ways to care for the community and is proud to offer much-needed services. The Transitional Care Clinic started as a project to help reduce readmissions due to no follow-up care after hospital discharge. It started operating out of two rooms and has since grown to 20 rooms. TCC provides hospital follow-ups, infusions, nurse visits and pre-op clearance for orthopedic patients, among other duties. It is TCC’s goal to prevent patients from having to…
From May through August, Ballad Health will offer a series of career development and training classes called “Choose Your Adventure.” These classes can help people get along better, resolve or avoid conflict, and create a happier workplace. The classes are appropriate for all Ballad Health team members, from frontline to leadership, and they are being offered “a la carte” – in other words, all sessions are optional. You can take any or all of these classes. The topics include: Creating a Culture of Trust Emotional Intelligence Creating a Culture of Engagement The Secret to Getting Along: Conflict Resolution Creating a Culture for Managing Change Civility in the Workplace Two topics will be covered each month from May through August. (See the schedule chart below for which courses are offered in each month.) Other key facts about the “Choose Your Adventure” series: Both monthly topics will be offered in a live, in-person classroom environment, and one…
NORTON, Va. – The Ballad Health Center for Early Learning in Norton will offer onsite registration on Monday and Tuesday, April 29-30, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Opening day for the center is expected this spring. Registration is open to both team members and the public, but team members will have priority registration. The center is located at 1424 Park Avenue NW, Norton. Tours of the facility will be available. A $50 registration fee is required to secure a spot. Onsite payment is by check only. Credit card payment is not accepted onsite but can be arranged later; information can be collected during the onsite registration event. Once open, the Norton center will offer childcare Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. with extended pickup until 7:30 p.m. for team members who prearrange that option. These hours will be standard in all Ballad Health childcare centers. If you are unable to make…
As a reminder, we are again partnering with Press Ganey Associates, a leading distributor of hospital and health system surveys for patients, to administer a Team Member Pulse Survey. This team member survey will take place from April 22 to May 6 and will consist of 10 questions that should be able to be completed in 10 minutes or less. You should have received an email from Press Ganey Monday, April 22, that contains an individual link to the survey. You must access the survey directly from this link. The email will come from “Press Ganey on behalf of Ballad Health” (the email address will be noreply@surveys.pressganey.com) and is safe to open and click the survey link. Since the full Team Member Engagement Survey last year, many action plans and initiatives have been implemented and many of you assisted in identifying opportunities for improvement for your departments. Your input into this brief pulse survey will provide us with updated…
Ballad Health team members at some facilities will soon see a minor change to time clocks, as we are replacing 121 of the current time clocks around the system with the most recent Intouch model. See the schedule below for when affected facilities will make the transition. From a user perspective, these new models are essentially the same as the current 4500 version, but they feature a touch screen instead of buttons. Each affected facility will only have one time clock down at a time while they are being replaced, and the downtime for each clock is estimated to be 20 minutes. Why are we doing this? The company that maintains firmware for our time clocks has discontinued updates for the 4500 models. We are phasing out the old models for security and maintenance purposes. Facility schedule Below is an approximate schedule with the affected facilities and the expected installation periods. IT will send out…
NOTE: This message was emailed to all Ballad Health team members on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, from Debbie Dover, SVP, Talent Engagement and Chief Human Resources Officer for Ballad Health. Dear colleague, I am pleased to share that we are again partnering with Press Ganey Associates, a leading distributor of hospital and health system surveys for patients, to administer a Team Member Pulse Survey. This team member survey will take place from April 22 to May 6 and will consist of 10 questions that should be able to be completed in 10 minutes or less. Since the full Team Member Engagement survey last year, many action plans and initiatives have been implemented and many of you assisted in identifying opportunities for improvement for your departments. Your input into this brief pulse survey will provide us with updated information and help steer the direction of future initiatives. It’s important to track our progress and review against…
